Improvement in manufacture of boots and shoes



G. C. BALLOU.,

4l/Iemufacture of Boots and Shoes.l

Patented .lune 11,1878.

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UNITED STATES PATENT n OFFICE.

UYRUS C. BALLOU, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN MANUFAGTURE OF BOOTS AND SHOES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 204,786, dated June 1l, 1878; application filed March 26, 1878.

To all whom t may concern: v

Be it known that I, CYRUS C. BALLOU, of the cityT and county of Alba-ny, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Boots and Shoes, of which the following is a full and exact description:

My invention con sists in makingthe vamp or upper of a boot or shoe with ilaps or other extensions at their lower edges, so that, when seamed or otherwise connected together before the boot or shoe is lasted, the vamp or upper will form a continuous envelopment for the fore part of the last, thereby preparing this part of the shoe or bootfor the subsequent operation of lasting by the mode hereinafter referred to.

In the accompanying drawing, which forms a part of this specification, and to which reference is herein made, Figure l is an inverted plan view of a shoe as lasted containing my improvements; Fig. 2, a transverse section of the same at the line a' x,- and Figs. 3 and 4 are pattern -forms for cutting the parts affected by my improvements.

As shown in the drawing, A is the vamp of a shoe embracing my improvement, in ,which the lower edges of the vamp are extended to form the flaps a, which constitute an integral part of the vamp, so that when they are seamed or otherwise connected together the vamp forms a continuous wrapping for .encircling the fore part of the last E. The aps a are so proportioned to the vamp that in lasting the shoe they produce sufficient strain upon the vamp to cause the material in the fore part and waist of the shoe to lie closely to the last and produce a smooth and even surface thereon; B, the quarters77 of a shoe, to which a quickened or abrupt curve is given to the back line at the lower part of the back seam, as shown at b in Fig. 3, in which the excess of material in the usual form is indi! cated by the dotted lines beyond the full outline of my pattern form. This abrupt curvature, in conjunction with the strain thrown upon the vamp by uniting the iiaps thereof, serves the purpose of naturally drawing down to the last (or to the inner sole D when one is used) the surplus leather at the lower edges of the quarters during the operation of lastlng.

The quarters are seamed together at the back seam and to the vamp in the usual manner. The heel-stiffening or counter C is inserted in the ordinary way between the quarters andthe lining, and the upper part of the shoe is in condition for lasting byl my improved mode of lasting, y which consists in drawing the upper part of the shoe over the last in the same manner tha-t a stocking is drawn upon the foot, and which forms the subject of another application for Letters Patent, and will be found fully described in the specification prepared for that purpose.

As shown in the drawing, the vamp is made with two flaps, a, at each of its lower edges, which are connected together by seams under the sole, leaving an opening between the conjoined parts, as shown in Fig. 1, which I ind in practice tends to distribute the tension throughout the upper in amore equable manner than when the edges of the vamp are connected bymeans of long flaps and a continuous seam; but, while I preferably make them as herein shown and described, my invention embraces the joining together, before lasting, the edges of the vamp by meansv of a longitudinal seam or seams at any part thereof, so as to make it form a continuous wrapper for the fore part of the last.

As herein described, the improvement applies to the vamp of a shoe; but it is obvious that it is equally applicable, without further invention, to the upper of a boot or shoe of any kind 5 hence I claim its application to that purpose.

I claim as my invention- 1. Theimproved process preparatory to last ing a boot or shoe, consisting of uniting the edges of the vamp or upper so as to form a continuous wrapper aroundthe fore part of the last, all substantially as set forth.

2. The vamp A or upper for aboot or shoe, provided with one or more aps, a, for connecting together the lower edges thereof, in ghe manner and for the purpose herein speci- 3. The vamp A or upper for a boot or shoe, provided with one or more flaps, a, as described, in combination with the quarters B, having a quickened curve formed thereon at the lower part of the back seam, as and for the purpose herein specified.

GYRUS C. BALLOU.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM H. Low, JN0. D. PATTEN. 

